Law Offices

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN LITIGATION AND ALTERNATIVE
DISPUTE RESOLUTION (LADR)

There will be an informational meeting to learn more about
the LADR Program and applications will come out shortly
thereafter. Please check back here very soon for further
information. To find out more about the LADR program, please
visit our website.

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN CRIMINAL LITIGATION

Applications will be coming out soon. Please check back
here soon for more information.

JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIPS: SUMMER/FALL 2008
SEMESTERS

1L APPLICANTS MUST HAVE A MINIMUM G.P.A. OF 3.22
2L APPLICANTS MUST HAVE A MINIMUM G.P.A. OF 3.31

Judicial Externship is a 4-credit hour Pass/Low Pass/Fail program open to students who have completed at least their first full year of law school and want to do legal research and writing for a federal appellate, district or magistrate judge or a designated Illinois appellate or circuit court judge.

Judicial Externship enables a student to become involved in particular legal problems through research and writing, and to contribute to the resolution of those problems by writing memoranda and drafting opinions. Depending upon the judge, an extern may have the opportunity to observe the day-to-day routine of a judge and discuss with the judge or the judge's law clerk those legal problems which attorneys face in their profession, as well as the specific problems confronted in the courtroom.

Take advantage of this prestigious learning opportunity while enhancing your marketability in the legal world.

Application Process

Applications for the Summer and Fall Judicial Externships are available in the Law Offices reception area (Room 600), in the Career Services Office, and in front of the Spakateria.

Completed applications for Summer Externships should be
submitted to Ms. Carole Ross, Secretary to Professor Gross,
Room 612 of Law Offices, by Wednesday, February 20th,
at 5:00 p.m.

Completed applications for Fall Externships should be
submitted to Ms. Carole Ross, Secretary to Professor Gross,
Room 612 of Law Offices, by Friday, March 14th, at 5:00
p.m.

Law Offices Attorneys Help Free Innocent
Man

On January 8th, 2008, Professor Richard Kling and his Law
Offices Colleague, Susana Ortiz, saw victory in the case
of their client, Herb Whitlock. Mr. Whitlock, of downstate
Paris, Illinois, was wrongfully incarcerated on murder charges
for over 20 years and thanks to the efforts of Professor
Kling and Ms. Ortiz and teams of Law Offices clinic students
who have been working on the case for the past 7 years,
Mr. Whitlock saw freedom when the State dismissed the charges
against him as a result of a new trial obtained for him
by Kling and Ortiz. In the Appellate Court opinion which
granted Mr. Whitlock a new trial, the Court cited the fact
that favorable evidence was hidden from the defense and
that Mr. Whitlockís trial counsel was ineffective for failing
to investigate key forensic evidence that would have shed
serious doubt on the credibility of the Stateís witnesses.
After his release, Mr. Whitlock was reunited with his daughter,
Brittany, who was 12 at the time of his original trial and
he met his seven-year old grandson for the first time. Read
the article from the Chicago
Tribune.

Law Offices Professor Admitted into U.S.
Supreme Court

On January 7, 2008, Professor Daniel Coyne was admitted
on motion in open court before all nine justices of the
supreme court in a group admission ceremony. The admission
was sponsored by the National Association of Criminal Defense
Lawyers. There were ten admittees from various jurisdictions
across the country. Immediately following the admission,
the death penalty case of Baze v. Rees was argued.
Baze challenges the propriety of the use of lethal
injection to execute condemned inmates.

LEGAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Do you want to develop your legal skills, get practical
legal experience, see what it is like to work in a corporation,
firm or government agency and -- at the same time -- make
yourself more marketable to prospective employers? If so,
then consider doing a for-credit externship and signing
up for Chicago-Kentís Legal Externship Program (LEP).

LEP is 4 credit hours, non-graded, and open predominantly
to students in their last three semesters of law school.

Externs interested in civil law may select to work in
such diverse legal areas as immigration, tax, commodities,
securities, health care, medical malpractice, or general
corporate law. Externs in criminal law may choose to work
with the Stateís Attorneys Office, Public Defender's Office,
or the U.S. Attorney's Office. Some externships offer the
opportunity to obtain a 711 license and appear in court.

The information about Summer 2008 Legal Externships and
an accompanying application form will be available in early
March.

Please e-mail Professor Vivien Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu)
to set up an appointment for more information about externships.